Equipment for hire

Equipment produced by "Vinten".

World leader in tv camera mounts.

Vinten OB DOLLY

Period:

from the end of 1950's to the beginning of 1970's

Type:

Pedestals & Dollies

Quantity:

1 specimens available

VINTEN OUTSIDE BROADCASTING DOLLY. This compact camera dolly, designed by Bill Vinten, appeared in late 1958 and was used on the second Queens' Christmas Day Speech, broadcast live from Sandringham. (the Queen-via the BBC- had asked for a less intrusive dolly-the lumbering 'Paddock' had been used the year before). The Vinten dolly runs on solid or pneumatic tyres. The central column elevates and the camera and seat rotate 360 deg (as does the rear steering). In operation the front wheels extend outwards for stability. (Many photos exist of this dolly in BBC & ITV operation without the front wheels extended. Of course, requirements of Health and Safety held no urgency back then...)

Still in use somewhere, the innovative Vinten Mk 3 Pan & Tilt head used risers and cams only (no fluids) to maintain the centre of gravity. This made the tilting of heavy cameras relatively easy. Indeed, if correctly mounted, a camera could be left at any tilt angle without lock off. Our picture shows designer Bill Vinten inspecting an example of his invention.

The CYGNET post head was a lightweight addition to the Vinten pan head range, based on the larger Swan posthead. Nice action but awkward to use, additional clamps needed for pan bars etc. Also impractical for use with cassette-loading camcorders. The post gets in the way.

The Vinten Mk 2 pan head used compression springs to moderate the tilt angle. This large pan head was also devised as a 'duo-pan head' with added pan & tilt control wheels similar to a cradle head. The Vinten Mk 2 pan head was used in 1950s tv studios until the very much better Mk 3 came along.

The Vinten 459 pedestal- seen in the picture with an EMI 201 vidicon camera- was designed as a lightweight 'cost effective' item. The pedestal has chain-linked wheels and a spring operated column. Used originally in small presentation studios-news/weather reports etc. The larger picture shows an additional 'steer ring', added by GA-TV.

The Vinten PLOVER 3179 ob/studio pedestal is a compact and relatively lightweight nitrogen-balanced item using a Fulmer type central three-stage column and three sets of linked wheels which can be either pneumatic or solid. The centre column can be easily separated from the wheeled base for transportation. The Plover pedestal can take a camera/pan head combination of up to 105 kgs.The front sets of wheels fold for storage.

The Vinten Model J Gyro Tripod consisted of two gyroscopic movements in the panning and tilting mechanisms that introduced drag. This resulted in a smooth, steady motion, especially useful when using very long lenses. Designed in the 1930s for full-sized 35mm cameras such as the Vinten H or Wall/Bell & Howell types. The example pictured has been fully restored.

This classic Vinten pedestal, appeared first in the mid 1950s. A balance of oil and nitrogen, the pedestal enabled the camera operator to track and jib without losing sight of the viewfinder. Heavy but smooth action. Later versions had the wheels linked to the steering ring.

Light Vinten version of their gyroscopic pan and tilt head range. This pan head was suitable for use with smaller 35mm cameras such as the Newman Sinclair, Eyemo or Arriflex 35mm. The gyroscope system- for both pan and tilt-was useful for smoothing out camera actions when using long lenses. Our example has been fully restored.

The Vinten MIDIPED is a low cost ENG/Studio pedestal. It has an air pumped central column with independent locking wheels. Maximum jib height is 56" inches and the loading weight is 50kg. The entire rig detatches and folds for portablity

The SWAN POST HEAD was designed in the late 1970s by Bill Vinten and Ted Galione. The object was to pivot a cameras' centre of gravity at the side, enabling a wide tilt range. This principle was not a particular hit with cameramen who preferred the usual top-mounted pan and tilt head. Our Post Head examples were used by Thames Television.